Rotary engine



0.,E. PETERSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7, I9I8.

1,378,897. Patented May 24,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET ljgl;

EIIEI E. Pener'sun 0. E. PETERSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION HLEDOCTJ 91s.

1 78,897, 7 Patented May 24, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Z 1 UIEI Efenersun (Juvewtoz- Mme/ STATES OLEF 1E. PETERSON, GFIDAHG FALLE, IDAEO.

RGTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. May 2%, 19216 application filed October 7, 1918. Serial No. 257,155.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that 1, Omar E. PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Idaho Falls, in the county of Bonneville and State of Idaho, have invented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to an engine of the rotary piston type, wherein the operating fluid which may be either steam or gas, is fed into an inlet chamber, under pressure, and from this inlet chamber, into the circular cylinder of the engine for impinging against a piston which moves in a rotary path with the cylinder; and an object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine which eliminates crank motion, giving the maximum efficiencyupon the utilization of a minimum amount of fuel, and an engine which eliminates the undesirable motions, caused by the starting and stopping of the engine.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a rotary engine as specified, a pivotally mounted abutment carrying suit-able cushioning springs, which is normally projected across the circular cylinder of the engine, and is forced by the compression of air between it and the movable piston, out of the path of the piston allowing the latter to pass the said abutment after which the abutment will fall, under gravity, to its normal position across the cylinder and confine the inrushing operating fluid to the space between the piston and this abutment.

Other objectsof the invention will appear in the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the improved rotary engine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the.

3 with the inlet chamber 4 of the engine, whlch in case volatile'gasis utilized as a fuel comprises the explosion chamber, the gas being exploded therein by a spark created through a spark plug 5 of the ordinary construction. A; valve cone 6 is provided for controlling the passing of the fuel from the initial inlet chamber 1 into the chamber 1 and this valve is carried by a valve stem 7. The valve stem 7 projects downwardly through the lower wall of the chamber 1, passing through a stuiiing box 8 to form a fluid tight joint about the valve stem and it has its lower end forked as indicated at 9, carrying the bolt or pin 10. A cam roller 11 is rotatably carried by the forked end 9 of the valve stem 7 and rides upon the periphery of a cam 12 carried by the main shaft 13 of the engine structure. The cam roller 11 is held in engagement with the periphery of the cam 12 by a spiral spring 14: which is coiled about the upper end of the valve stem and has its lower end engaging against a collar 15 carried by the valve stem while its upper end engages against the inner surface of the top of the housing 16 for the spring. A stufiing box 17 is provided for forming a fluid-tight joint or closure about the valve stem as it Ipasses upwardly to the wall of the cham- The fuel passes from the chamber 4 through an opening 18 into the circular cylinder 19 of the engine which cylinder surrounds the shaft 13 and is formed within the stator 20 of the engine. A rotor 21 is keyed to the shaft 13 and it has a ring 22' formed thereon to which a connecting rod 22 is attached which has its outer end con- 'nected to the connecting pin 23 of the piston ported by suitable pins 26 which are car-.

ried by the stator 20 and it has its lower inner end cut away as shown at 27 to fit the inner wall of the cylinder 19. The

abutment member 25 has lugs 28 projecting laterally from its free end which ride in slots 29 for guiding the movement of the abutment member. Cushioning springs 30 are positioned in the lower inner ends of the slots 29 and cushion the downward movement of the abutment member. A flat spring 31 is carried by the upper or outer face of the abutment member 25 and it is curved to extendoutwardly from the. outer his ' ace of the abutment member :tor cushioning he upward movement of the abutment menier This abutment member 25 normally crtends across the circular cylinder 19 as shown in 1 of the drawings forming an abutment against which the tool, under compression impinges upon. entrance into the cylinder through the openings 18, forcing the expansive action of the fluid against the face of the piston facing the abutment member causing the piston to travel about within the circular cylinder, rotating the rotor A1 and the shaft 1,3 to which the rotor is keyed. After the piston 2-: passes the exhaust opening 33, the compressing action of the in front of the iston will lift the abutment member 25 upwardly out of the path 0: 5 the piston 24 allowing the same to pass the abutment member The under surface oi'the abutment member is curved to conform to the curvature of the outer wall of cylinder when the abutment is seated for closing the opening 18, lmrnediately after the piston 2% passes the free end of the abutment member the latter will fall, by gravity, into its normal position, locking the cylinder 19 and guiding the inrushing luel the face of the piston for again forcing the si me about within the cylinder, l l hen volatile gas is used so a feel, an ex haust port'- indicated at 34 in dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings is used in lieu of the exhaust port 33 which is used when steam or analogous non-explosive material is employed for operating the engine,

Piston rings 35 are carried by the stator 20 and are held in engagement with the con necting arm 22 by spiral springs 36 which will take up wear upon the piston rings, maintaining a fluid-tight joint between thewv rings and the connecting rod 22 at all times,

in Fig". 2 or" the drawings, a twin cylinder or two cylinder engine is shown, and the construction of these cylinders is identical, the only dillerence being in the positioning of the cam 12 to permit operatlon of the valve 6 at different times so as to provide a continuous power strolre upon the shaft 13,

if so desired, a portion of the stator which forms the inner wall of the cylinder may be made separately from the stator proper comprising a circular ring or member indicated at d0 which is removably seated be tween the separate portions all and i2 of the stator and attached thereto in any suitable manner such as by bolts 43, thus enablin these sections of the stator to be remover for replacing them with new sections in case they become worn.

Changes in detail may be made without departing from the spirit ot this invention, but;

Li claim:

1. In a rotary engine, a stator having a circular bore therein, a rotor including a piston for travel in said bore, a movable abutment, normally extending across said bore and adapted to be forced out of the bore to allow a complete revolution of the rotor, laterally extending guide lugs formed upon said abutment, said stator provided with guideways receiving said guide lugs, and springs positioned in the inner end of said guideways to cushion the inward movement of said abutment,

2. in a rotary engine, a stator having a circular bore their in, a rotor including a piston for travel in said bore, a movable abutment, normally extending across said bore and adapted to be forced out of the bore to allow a complete revolution of the rotor, laterally extending guide lugs formed upon said abutment, said stator provided with guideways receiving said guide lugs, and springs positioned in the inner end of said guideways to cushion the inward movement of said abutment, a fiat spring carried by the outer surface of said abutment and adapted to cushion the outer movement thereof,

3, in a rotary engine, a stator having a circular bore therein, a removable ring member detachably positioned within said stator, and having its periphery shaped to form, the inner wall of said bore, and a rotor including a piston for travel in said ore, said rotor further including a coupling rod connecting the rotor to said piston and plurality of piston rings carried by said movable circular member, and springs positioned against the inner edges of the said rings for forcing the rings into fluid-tight engagement with the said connecting rod.

arotary engine, a stator having a circular bore therein, a ring;- member removably mounted within said stator and having" its periphery shaped to form the inner wall of said circular bore, a main shaft, a rotor carried by said shaft, and including a hub, a piston 'for travel in said here, and a connecting rod connecting said piston and hub, a plurality of piston rings suitably carried by said removable ring member, for fluid-tight engagement with said connecting rod during the rotation of the said rotor, an initial fuel inlet chamber, a second inlet chamber having communication with said here, a valve communication between said initial and second. inlet chamher, and means operated by the rotation of said shaft for operating said valve at we determined times to permit fuel to flow from the initial chamber into the second inlet chamber.

5. In a rotary engine, a stator having a circular bore therein, a ring member removably mounted within said stator and having its periphery shaped to form the inner wall of said circular bore, a main shaft, a rotor carried by said shaft, and inllld eluding a hub, a piston for travel in said bore, and a connecting rod connecting said piston and hub, a plurality of piston rings suitably carried by said removable ring member for fluid-tight engagement with said connecting rod during the rotation of the said rotor, an initial fuel inlet chamber, a second inlet chamber having communication with said bore, a valve communication between said initial and second inlet chamber, means operated by the rotation of said shaft for Operating said valve at predetermined times .to permit fuel to flow from the initial chamber into the second inlet chamber, an abutment pivotally carried by said stator and normally damming said bore, said stator provided with exhaust opening, said abutment adapted to be forced out of said bore by the compressing action of the air compressed between sald piston and said abutment, after the piston passes said exhaust.

6. In a rotary engine, a stator having a circular bore therein, a rin member removably mounted within sa1d stator and having its periphery shaped to form the inner wall of said circular bore, a main shaft, a rotor carried by said shaft, and including a hub, a piston for travelin said bore, and a connecting rod connecting said piston and hub, a plurality of piston rings suitably carried by said removable ring member for fluid-tight engagement with said connecting rod during the rotation of the said rotor, an initial fuel inlet chamber, a second inlet chamber having communication with said bore, a valve communication between said initial and second inlet chamber, means operated by the rotation of said shaft for operating said valve at predetermined times to permit fuel to flow from the initial chamber into the second inlet chamber, an abutment pivotally carried by said stator and normally damming said bore, said stator provided with exhaust opening, said abutment adapted to be forced out of said bore by the compressing action of the air compressed between said'piston and said abutment, after the piston passes said exhaust, said stator provided with arcuate guideways, laterally projecting lugs formed upon said abutment, cushioning springs mounted in the inner end of said guideway and adapted for engagement against said lugs to cushion the lnwarid movement of said abutment.

OLEF E. PETERSON. 

